Brave New World
by BoxingBunny
Summary: Kagome has been asleep for centuries while her mind healed. But when she's found by a group of shinobi and suspected of being a spy, she finds a new set of problems in a new world that may reopen old wounds. ON HIATUS UNTIL JANUARY 2013
1. Chapter 1

AN: Look something else I shouldn't be working on! But you guys know how inspiration can be sometimes. It'll smack you across the face and say "Do thine will, biotch!" Also, to explain my disappearances and extremely sporadic updates from here on out (and for the past few weeks), as some of you may know I've been in the process of moving since just after Christmas. Well I'm finally in my new house but things are crazy! Everything is a mess and over half of my stuff is still in storage. To top it all off, I don't get internet on my computer out here. I only get it on my phone now, and even that is patchy. Anyway, I have to go into town to my dad's house to update my stuff…

The inspiration for this story came while I was listening to 'Attack' by 30 Seconds to Mars. The entire CD ('The Kill') actually shaped a large part of the story :] Well, as always, enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Brave New World

Chapter One

Underground, in the depths of a dark castle, hallways carved from stone led the way to dank rooms sealed by thick bars. Little could be heard in the dungeons. Rats scurrying along the floors looking for scraps of old food and the dripping of water was what could usually be heard. But listening closely, humming could also be heard as it joined the echoed sounds.

A soft and haunting tune with no apparent rhyme or rhythm rose and faded as it floated through the halls, bouncing off of the stone.

Inside the only occupied cell sat a lone figure huddled against a damp wall. Once-long, ebony hair was now dull, matted, and cut at jaw-length in choppy chunks. Pale skin that had lost almost all color was clammy and covered in dirt and small amounts of dried blood. Dirty clothes, torn and tattered, hadn't been washed in anything other than a small puddle in the cell's corner during the five months of imprisonment.

The feminine hum stopped for a moment as several deep breaths were heard before a sob wrenched its way through the dark and silence.

For the prisoner Kagome Higurashi, all measure of time had been lost long ago. There were no windows and she hadn't seen the light of day in months. The only thing even close to a time gauge was the semi-regular meals that she received. Some days seemed to pass in the blink of an eye while seconds sometimes felt like hours.

The last time Kagome had seen the outside world or her friends had been during one of their many battles against Naraku. When the evil half-demon had her within his grasp, he had instantly fled the field with her. The next thing she could remember was waking up in the dank cell that she was currently in.

Naraku had taken a great deal of pleasure in torturing her for the small chunk of the jewel that she held. As small as it was, it was the only thing keeping him from the complete object. For the longest time, nobody had laid a finger on her. She had simply been reminded on a consistent basis that her group had no way to find the castle and therefore no way to find her. With the reminder that the chances of being found were nil, she had been prompted to give over the jewel with the promise of being released.

Kagome knew that it may have been a while before she was found, but she had faith that her friends would rescue her. Until then, she had to remain strong and not give into the enemy. After realizing that his first tactic wasn't working, Naraku grew increasingly violent.

The mental, emotional, and physical abuse had become her world. She was never removed from her cell. Her tormentor always came to her. She had been mocked, beaten, and ridiculed over the months. Naraku had even cut most of her hair off when he had seen her nervously playing with it and braiding it in order to distract herself from all that was really happening.

But Naraku seemed to truly lose his temper with her several days before. In a desperate move, she had swallowed her small portion of the jewel. She knew that Naraku wouldn't risk killing her while she was in such close possession of a piece of the jewel. She had overheard a conversation between Naraku and Kagura not long before. A possibility had been brought up. If the guardian of the jewel died with the jewel as a part of their body, it may disappear and not resurface until she was reincarnated.

As Kagome leaned against her usual wall, she noticed that she was unusually hungry. She seemed to always be hungry lately with the small amounts of food that she occasionally received, but now it seemed as though she had gone days without seeing anyone who Naraku sent to tend to her. She gingerly reached up a hand to run thin fingers over protruding ribs.

The salty tears that began to gather in Kagome's eyes burned harshly. But before the first drop was able to fall, a large crash startled her.

Kagome crawled over to the bars that contained her to try to get a better view of what was happening. Light and sounds were streaming down the stairs leading to the cells. When another crash and a small explosion sent debris flying down the hall, Kagome moved back to the other side of the cell as quickly as she could manage. Soon she heard Kagura's voice.

"Kanna, hold him back for as long as you can!" The wind sorceress ordered. Kagome could hear quick steps coming her way as her heart sped up. What did the demoness want with her this time? She had been sent to torment her on Naraku's orders before on several occasions. But with the commotion coming from the castle above, Kagome doubted that this was the case. Had her friends finally found her? Hope began to blossom for the young woman. That is, until she saw Kagura. She had never seen the woman so…disheveled.

Kagura opened her fan and sliced through the cell bars with ease before stepping through and yanking Kagome to her feet.

"Come on," she said still dragging Kagome behind her.

Kagome observed the woman with a wary curiosity. Her normally sleek hair was falling from its bun. Her clothes were in disarray, hanging loosely from her body, while her bare feet padded along the stone. Kagome could also make out new bruises and several shallow cuts marring her skin.

When Kagura tugged on Kagome's arm with a little more force, Kagome tried to speak up. "What—?" She began.

Kagura quickly cut the younger woman off when she turned to give Kagome a serious look before reaching into her sleeve. "Here," the demoness said holding out what used to be Naraku's large piece of the jewel.

Kagome stared wide-eyed before rasping out, "I don't understand."

With a quick glance back toward the stairs—where more crashes were resonating from—Kagura quickly explained, "Naraku is becoming unbalanced. He will kill you soon if he has a chance at that jewel. When he gets it, he will have no more use for Kanna or myself and we will die." Kagura began to drag Kagome once more as they headed further down the hall. "You will leave this castle with the entire jewel while Kanna and I do our best to take care of Naraku. If we fail, Inuyasha should be able to take care of what's left of him."

Kagome could only stand on shaky legs as she stared at Kagura. Was she serious? Was she really helping her to escape?

Kagura once again pulled out her fan and demolished the exterior wall at the end of the hallway. "There is a river below the castle. Follow it downstream and you will find your friends."

"Sister," Kanna's soft voice sounded slightly strained. "The mirror is cracking."

Kagura quickly shoved the jewel into Kagome's hands and began making her way back to her sister's side.

Kagome looked out of the hole Kagura had created and saw that not only had the castle been located on a cliff face, but the river that Kagura had mentioned was at least forty feet below her. She knew that she was weak from her captivity, and even if she survived the fall, she wasn't sure that she would be able to swim.

She was only able to hesitate for a moment before another, much louder, explosion rocked the castle and she heard Kagura shout "Go!" before a powerful gust of wind carried her into the night air.

Bracing herself for the impact with the water, Kagome tried to straighten her body vertically as much as she could. Her feet entered the cold water first and she took a deep breath before her head was submerged as well. The river's current instantly swept her away and she felt very much like a ragdoll being tossed around. She wasn't going to be able to fight the current right now and the only thing she could hope for was to be able to keep her head above the water long enough not to drown.

As her head broke the surface of the water, Kagome inhaled deeply and looked around for anything to hold onto. Nothing came into view and she focused on trying to direct the way she was going, but she was too weak to put forth the effort that was needed. Kagome tried to think of an alternative plan, but her thoughts were cut short as she was dragged underwater once again.

It was only by pure luck that she came to a bend in the river where the water swirled in a shallow pool by the bank before moving on. As soon as her body met solid land, Kagome crawled onto the shore as she tried to cough up the water that she had inhaled and swallowed. The sharp coughs led her body to start dry-heaving until a puddle of water was expelled from her stomach along with the last piece of the jewel that hadn't been able to move on.

Kagome smiled lightly as air returned to her lungs and she held her two pieces of the jewel together in one small fist. Darkness was calling to her and her exhaustion demanded that she give in. It would have been best to search for her friends, but her body was no longer responding to her wishes. As she lay on the pebble-covered shore, the last thing that Kagome's brain registered was a thin trail of smoke rising into the air from a nearby fire and a few voices that sounded strangely familiar.

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The dripping was back. Kagome's breath quickened as her hands ran across the familiar stone walls. What had happened? She had escaped! Why was she back in the hell hole Naraku had caged her in? Had it all been a dream?

Kagome closed her eyes tightly as she struggled to remember what was going on. Then she heard footsteps. They were heavier than Kagura's. The pace of the steps were slow but sure. She closed her eyes tighter as the smooth, deep voice that had tormented her for so long reached her ears again.

"Kagome," the voice called in a mocking manner.

Kagome covered her ears in an attempt to block out the voice.

"Kagome," the voice called again.

Tears began to stream from her eyes.

"Kagome!" The voice was beginning to change. It now sounded less deep and more anxious. It sounded familiar, but was not the voice of Naraku.

As Kagome continued to struggle to remember what had happened and brace herself for what was happening. When she felt a hand land on her shoulder, she screamed out.

Kagome opened her eyes as she attempted to sit up and was greeted with the warm wood of a hut instead of the dark stone of a cell. _'A dream?'_ She thought before her eyes landed on several familiar figures talking around a fire and one very concerned figure sitting by her side. "Sango…" Kagome's voice whispered.

Sango smiled down at the younger woman with relief in her eyes. "Kagome…we were so worried," the demon slayer said as she gently smoothed her friend's hair and laid a cool rag across Kagome's forehead. "Let me help you sit up so you can drink something and then you can get some more rest. You can talk to everyone else when you're better."

Following Sango's orders, Kagome sipped on the water offered to her before lying down and closing her eyes once more. She was looking forward to better sleep knowing that her friends were close by and she was safe.

=.=.=.=

The days passed and Kagome continued to sleep. She was often fitful and screamed out against invisible attackers. The group of shard hunters had waited for her to reawaken, but they were losing hope as their friend continued to dream and live her hell over and over again.

Sango became more distraught as the days passed and she listened to Kagome's screams. She had been the last one to see the girl conscious. She had assured her that they were together again and that Kagome would see her friends soon.

"What can we do?" Sango asked the two males sitting in the hut with her. Inuyasha sat by the wall watching as Miroku meditated with Kagome's head resting in his lap. The monk was hoping to find what kept Kagome from them.

"Her soul is very lost and tortured," Miroku spoke as his brows furrowed. "It is no longer as clear as it once was. I fear that if she were to wake up now she may lose her sanity in the memories."

"Then what can we do?" Sango stressed again on the brink of tears. The young miko was the only family that she had left. Miroku's wind tunnel had disappeared signaling the death of Naraku and when they had found the demon's castle it had been burned and abandoned. Kohaku had been nowhere in sight, but Sango wasn't holding much hope at this point.

Miroku sighed as he opened his eyes and looked down at Kagome's strained face. "There are a few outcomes to this situation," he stated gaining the attention of both Inuyasha and Sango. "I've come across people who have experienced great tragedies with which their minds and spirits cannot cope. Their bodies may force them to sleep until death." At Sango's strangled cry he gave the exterminator a hopeful smile before continuing. "But there is a chance that we could purify her soul once more. This would take a very long time, though."

"How long?" Inuyasha asked solemnly.

"Each memory of her encounter would have to be purified so that she will be able to come to terms with her captivity. Each memory would take a great deal of time on its own. And she was gone for several months. The purification process will not necessarily speed up the healing of her soul, but it will be able to calm her mind as it repairs itself. If taken to the extreme, it may even preserve her body as it is now so that she will be able to keep living her life once she has recovered," Miroku explained.

"Where could we do that?" Sango asked. She was willing to try anything for her friend and sister.

"I'm sure we could persuade Mushin into sparing a room at the temple of my youth. It will take time simply to prepare the room. Are you sure this will be the wisest decision?" Miroku questioned his friends seriously. He wanted to make sure that this was what they all agreed upon.

Inuyasha eyed Miroku for several moments before asking, "What aren't you telling us, monk?"

Looking between his friends, Miroku prepared himself for their reactions. "With the damage done to Kagome's spirit and mind, this process could take years if not decades to complete. There's a high chance that Sango and I will pass on into the next life before Kagome awakens again. Someone will need to be there to awaken Kagome from her sleep when the process is finished. It's likely that you'll be the only one left at that time, Inuyasha. Either yourself or Shippo."

Sango bit the inside of her lip to keep her tears at bay. "Fine," she agreed. "If it's what will be best for Kagome, then I say we should do it."

"I have to agree with Sango," Miroku added as he looked to Inuyasha. "What do you think?" He questioned the half-demon.

Looking to Kagome, Inuyasha questioned Miroku, "If I'm the one who has to wake her up, how will I know when it's time?"

"I can seal the door to the room with a sutra which will glow when her spirit has been purified once more," Miroku answered easily.

"Alright," Inuyasha said. "We'll leave for the temple tomorrow."

=.=.=.=

The group reached the temple, prepared Kagome's room for her long slumber, and took their leave once more with each hoping to one day see the young woman from the future again. But the years passed and the sutra sealing the door remained dormant. Human generations passed and demons grew few in numbers. The small temple sat deep in the forest forgotten by many.

But instead of the metal and concrete buildings rising into the sky, a new breed of human emerged to steer the fate of the world onto a much different course.

Groups known as shinobi began to take foot in civilization. Large villages were built and dedicated to training the next generation of ninja to protect their ways.

And it would be the shinobi that awoke the miko from her centuries-long slumber.

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AN: BONUS! I was originally planning to update four stories and add one new one, but I'm adding a second new one as well! This is something I've had sitting on my computer for a while waiting to be completed and I was just struck with the inspiration to do just that. This will be my first time really working with the Naruto characters and I'm super excited! I have a vague idea of where I'm going with pairings, but I'm going to keep that to myself for now. Let me know what you think of this first chapter and thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Wow! I was so impressed by the response to this story! You guys are awesome ^_^ And while I know I'm not really supposed to do this, I thought I'd address a few questions left in the reviews from chapter one. So don't tattle on me, okay? ;]  
-Yuna's Reincarnation-1: I'm not totally sure what the pairing will be yet. I'm leaning toward Neji/Kagome, but some other guys that I'm considering are Shikamaru or Kiba :]  
Foxluna: Your reviews always make me smile ^_^ But you'll find out about the Inuyasha gang a little later on ;] (check the ending AN for a small spoiler on that!)  
Bloodcherry: Awesome question! But it's a specific event that changed the course of time and that will be explained in later chapters :]  
Kenjo: Don't worry, no Sasuke pairing. I'm with you though. I'm tired of him.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Brave New World

Chapter 2

The forest was quiet as the small team from Konoha moved through the foliage to complete their mission. There had been reports of unidentified foreign shinobi in the area and it was their mission to confirm whether or not the reports were correct. The Fourth Great Shinobi War had only recently come to an end and the last thing that anyone wanted was to find out that another country was moving in on them.

Neji glanced around him to check the positions of the team members that he was leading. A hint of nostalgia settled in his chest seeing Tenten and Lee running alongside him along with their medical escort, Sakura Haruno. Neji had been chosen to lead the mission due to the tracking ability that the Byakugan granted him. If there truly were enemies in the area, he would find them and the capable team would quickly dispatch of them. Holding up a hand, Neji signaled to the team that they would stop to rest for a moment.

Sakura stretched her arms above her head as they stopped in a small clearing before pulling a bottle of water from the small bag on her back. "Am I the only one who finds it sad that we have to do reconnaissance in the forest outside of our own village?" She asked.

"Everyone is still on edge from the war," Tenten answered. "Though I don't know who would be foolish enough to come this far into Fire Country and roam the area right outside of Konoha with only one or two people like the reports said." Tenten gratefully accepted the bottle of water that Sakura passed to her.

Neji surveyed the forest once more before settling onto a large rock for the moment. "We were sent to look for specific shinobi, but there have been small teams patrolling the forests since the war regularly."

"How have your hospital duties been, Sakura?" Lee questioned in a change of topic. While not as persistent as he had been years before, Lee still vied for the attention and company of his long-time crush and friend.

"Things have been going well," the pink-haired girl said with a smile. "The shift rotation takes some getting used to and the hours are long, but the payoff is worth every minute."

Standing once more, Neji caught the attention of the others. "We'll continue to the east where the reports specified before doubling back and heading home." When the others nodded their understanding, all four took off simultaneously.

The forest had been quiet for the entirety of their mission thus far and Neji had to maintain his focus so that he wouldn't become lost in the sounds and general calm that the forest offered. His mind and emotions had calmed considerably since his youth and his friends pointed out this fact often. And with nothing but small animals and insects to be seen scurrying about, Neji was hopeful that he would be able to report back to the Hokage that any enemies that may have been in the area were gone.

He was about to signal to the team that it was time to return home when something caught his sharp eyes in the distance. Motioning to the others to approach with caution, Neji focused on trying to determine what it was that he saw. It was obviously a large and very old building, but there was something inside that was unsettling. There was a single room in the building which he could not see into. The walls were an opaque and glowing white.

The team stopped together outside of the old building and took in the appearance. The wood was old and splintered, some of the steps were rotted away, and the roof looked to be caving in at certain places. "Are there possible enemies inside?" Tenten began in low tones.

"I'm not sure," Neji answered truthfully.

"Wait…you're not sure? So why did we stop?" Sakura asked disbelievingly.

Casting the younger woman a sideways glance, Neji answered, "Because there's something in this building. It's something that my Byakugan cannot see."

All three shinobi looked from Neji to the rundown building before reaching for a kunai to have handy just in case.

"Sakura," Neji addressed. "You stay outside and keep watch with Lee while Tenten and I check the rooms." Receiving a nod, Neji motioned for Tenten to follow him.

The floors creaked slightly with every step and at times seemed like they would give way to their weight at any moment. Each room that they checked was vacant and led them to the conclusion that the building had been a Buddhist temple at one point in time, but it was obvious that there hadn't been a resident monk in some time.

When the duo came to the door that led to the opaque room, they were greeted with an odd sight. Deactivating his Byakugan, Neji examined the doors a little more closely. The sliding wooden doors were sealed with a single sutra over the crease where the doors met. But it wasn't any kind of exploding tag that they had seen before; the sutra read 'Purity.' And as odd as the sight was, what really caused their brows to crease was the light blue glow that the scrap of paper gave off. Tenten looked to Neji for direction on what action they should take.

Placing his arm out to move Tenten back several paces, Neji pulled a shuriken from his pouch and easily ripped the paper sealing the doors. Nothing happened for a moment, but both ninja took several steps away when the glowing increased before flames consumed the sutra and it fell from the doors completely along with Neji's shuriken.

Neji and Tenten exchanged serious glances before nodding and arming themselves once more as they moved towards the doors. For the age of the building, the doors slid open easily with the gentle tugs that each gave a respective door. And not for the first time that day, the two were both shocked and perplexed at what they saw.

The entire room—all four walls, ceiling, and floor—was covered inch-for-inch with sutras. But in the center of an otherwise empty room sat a young woman in a meditative pose in what appeared to be a trance-like state. Unfocused blue eyes were half-lidded and framed with thick lashes. Ebony hair pooled on the floor behind her as a few strands hung in her face. Her skin was a sickly pale and her cheeks were slightly sunken in revealing high cheekbones. She was dressed completely in white with a rope of sutras hanging around her shoulders.

Tenten began to move forward before Neji caught her arm to hold her back at the first sign of movement from the woman.

Heavy eyelids slid down only to pause for a moment before reopening slightly wider than before. Dull eyes shifted slowly from staring blankly ahead to looking at the intruders. Her face was unreadable as it retained its relaxed, dazed appearance. Her fingers twitched for a moment before one hand shakily rose from her lap as though reaching out to an unseen presence. But soon after thin arm and hand were straightened, her eyes closed once again and she began to fall forward.

As she hit the floor with a light 'thud' Neji activated his Byakugan once again. Nothing seemed amiss in the room, aside from the obvious, and he released Tenten's arm before moving forward himself. Who was this woman and how long had she been in the bizarre room?

"What should we do with her, Neji?" Tenten asked tentatively as she checked the unconscious woman's pulse.

Thinking over the options for a moment, Neji answered, "She doesn't appear to be a threat for the moment. We will take her back to Konoha to be put into custody and questioned about her presence here. We cannot rule out the possibility that she's allied with an enemy."

Tenten nodded and stepped aside as Neji moved to pick up the mysterious woman. He immediately noticed that she was far lighter than someone her size should be; this only raised more questions as to how long she had been in the room.

When the two returned to Sakura and Lee, they noticed that the two who had been on guard had their attention elsewhere. Lee was holding a closed leather bag by a strap. There was another sutra sealing the bag shut and when either Sakura or Lee would attempt to touch it, blue sparks would erupt.

"Where did the bag come from?" Tenten asked as she jumped over the rotted steps and approached her teammates.

"It fell from some kind of trap door in the ceiling there a few minutes ago," Sakura answered pointing to the hanging door just outside of the main entrance. "We can't open it though." She held up her slightly red and abused fingertips as testament to their efforts with the sutra.

Remembering what Neji had done with the door's sutra, Tenten took her kunai and attempted to slice through the paper. Her mind barely had time to register that both Sakura and Lee yelled out in protest before the metal blade's edge made contact with the sutra. Electricity passed through the metal and into her hand causing her to hiss at the pain and drop the weapon. Tenten tried flexing her slightly numb and tingling digits before turning to Neji once more.

"We'll bring the bag as well," he answered the unspoken question.

As though noticing the woman in Neji's arms for the first time, Lee's eyes widened and Sakura moved forward to do a quick check on the woman's vitals.

"Her breathing is slight," she observed. "And her heartbeat is slow…but steady." Easily feeling the bones in the woman's wrist and hand, Sakura slid up the white sleeve to reveal and pale and slender arm. "My God…" She breathed. "She's barely anything but skin and bones." Sakura continued her inspection by lifting the fingers of Neji's right hand and feeling defined ribs. "She's malnourished and dehydrated. We need to get her back to the village immediately."

"She's possibly an enemy," Tenten pointed out to the younger medic.

Sakura became serious and had an edge creep into her voice as she retorted, "Well I can guarantee you that she won't be able to do damage to anyone in the shape she's in right now. Enemy or not, she'll die if she stays like this and then we'll never know. Are you willing to risk letting a possibly innocent civilian die?"

Tenten raised her hands in front of her defensively as she said, "Okay, okay, I was just pointing it out. If she's really that bad off then we should probably head out soon."

Neji nodded before readjusting the woman in his arms and taking off towards Konoha knowing that the others would be right behind him.

Though they would never voice it out loud, both Sakura and Tenten silently mused on how much Neji looked like a valiant hero carrying a frail damsel in distress, as though it were a passage straight from an epic fairytale. Both women had to cough and look away when Lee asked why they were blushing.

=.=.=.=

Kagome's brow furrowed when she woke up to a rather disturbing sound; dripping. Her eyes closed tighter momentarily in an attempt to dispel the sound as imaginary, but the steady dripping continued. Cracking open an eye slightly, she was able to calm down at seeing that the dripping was coming from an IV that ran down to her arm. She then blinked open two blurry eyes and allowed her vision to clear before taking in her current surroundings.

She was in a bed with an IV in her arm and oxygen tubes running up to her nose. There was also a heart monitor making a steady 'beep' with each beat of her heart. She smiled at the thought of being safe once more. But she had to wonder where her friends had gone. The last thing that she remembered was waking up in Kaede's hut with Sango by her side. Continuing to survey the room soon proved to be a bad idea, though.

The room itself was fairly dark. The only light came from the outside hallway through a small, barred window in a large door. There were no windows or vent openings in the stone room. The only thing besides the bed she was in was a small wooden chair in the corner. Where was she? What had happened? The room looked like a prison cell, but why give a prisoner medical treatment. Kagome's mind vaguely picked up the increasing beep of the heart monitor.

Pushing up onto shaky arms, Kagome sat up and began to detach the small electrodes stuck to her chest. She noticed that she was dressed in a thin, white yukata that she'd never seen before. She then removed the oxygen tubes and coughed slightly as the musty scent of the cell assaulted her nose. Kagome had never been fond of needles and decided to leave the IV as it was for now.

Slowly sliding thin legs over the edge of the bed, Kagome gripped the pole on which the IV hung as tightly as she could manage before touching her bare feet to the stone floor and attempting to stand. Her knees shook and her legs wobbled, but she was able to remain semi-upright with the pole's help. She slid her foot across the cold stone, not daring to actually lift the appendage in fear of falling, and tried making her way towards the door. Two of these steps were successfully executed before her knees completely buckled and she tumbled to the floor.

Kagome cried out as the IV tugged harshly against her fall, twisting the needle still in her arm. A shaky hand reached up trying to do something about the needle, but she was having a hard time focusing around the pain it had caused.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming down the hall. Someone's head blocked some of the light entering the room as they looked through the window before the door was quickly opened. A young woman was instantly by Kagome's side helping her with the IV still in her arm. Blinking away tears, Kagome noticed that the woman's hair was the oddest shade she'd ever seen on a human—pink.

Sakura easily removed the needle and pushed the IV pole away. Emerald eyes scanned the frail woman beside her looking for any other injuries before settling on the abused arm. There would definitely be a nasty bruise where the needle had twisted and punctured the vein, but it would be fine in time. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Sakura asked in a soft voice so as not to scare the small woman.

Kagome nodded her head as she looked at the new woman with caution. Was she one of the people keeping her prisoner? "Why am I here?" She asked softly in a voice scratchy from not being used.

Sakura faltered at the question. She didn't want to say that she was in a cell to be questioned, but there was really no way to explain away the stone and bars. "You're in an ANBU holding cell. Now that you're awake, someone should be here to question you in the next few days."

She didn't know what 'ANBU' was, but Kagome got the feeling that it was a bad thing to be where she was. "I didn't do anything," she said in a small voice to nobody in particular.

"Then you don't have anything to worry about," Sakura responded with a small smile. "Come on; let's get you back in bed. You're still not well enough to be walking around."

"Who are you?" Kagome asked while allowing the woman to help her stand.

"My name is Sakura and I've gotten the Hokage's permission to be your doctor while you're in here," Sakura answered.

Kagome was quiet for a moment before saying, "My name is Kagome."

Sakura pulled a needle from a pouch on her hip so that she could replace the slightly bent IV needle. "We'll use your other arm this time. These are fluids that you need right now so there's really no way around this, okay?"

Kagome nodded as she watched the other woman work. She seemed confident in her motions, but she also seemed very young for a doctor. How long had she been doing this? The question of where she was came to mind once again. This couldn't be her time. What had happened in the past?

Once Sakura had placed the needle into Kagome's arm she turned to her and said, "I'll come to check on you periodically, so just get some rest." As Kagome relaxed back into the bed and allowed her eyes to close, Sakura frowned slightly and headed towards the door.

The intimidating figure of Ibiki Morino was waiting for her in the hall. She sighed at his questioning stare. "Her name is Kagome; the bag is hers," she said as her eyes traveled to the sealed leather bag hanging on a hook outside of the door. The leather bag with the sutra reading 'Kagome' was about to cause a series of troubles for the poor woman in the locked room.

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AN: And that will be our stopping point for this chapter. I'm still excited about this story. I love Naruto/Inuyasha crossovers ^_^ Pairings are still undecided, as I said. A small base with Neji is built, but there will be similar interactions with others later on. A lot more characters will make their debut in the next chapter, so there's going to be a lot going on then! Also, I've posted a piece of character art on dA that has to do with this story. It's a small spoiler for much later chapters, but nothing huge. If you want to take a peek, the link to my dA homepage is on my profile page. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Yay! Chapter three :D This story is practically writing itself. Sorry about the little cliffhanger last chapter ^_^ Well, I'm going to keep this short, but again there are a couple of questions that I want to answer. Everyone wants to know where Inuyasha and Shippo are! I promise that you'll find out about them in later chapters :]  
Jade: Gaara would have been in the running too if I didn't have another story I was working on that was a Kagome/Gaara pairing :] I'm not sure when it will find its way online, but it's a work in progress ;]  
Orihime-San: I like Kagome/Kakashi pairings too, but in this storyline he would be a little old for her. Maybe another time ^_^  
And congratulations to Star Delta for being the only one to accurately guess what was in the bag!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Brave New World

Chapter 3

Kagome sat in a small room with no windows, only one door, and only a single light hanging from the ceiling. The only furnishings included a wooden table, which she sat in front of, and the wooden chair that she sat in. The woman who had been taking care of her, Sakura, had explained what the situation was surrounding her.

She had been found in an area where possible enemy sightings had occurred with no identification on her person. She'd also been told that there had been a great war not long ago. While Kagome didn't like the idea of being thought of as an enemy in an unfamiliar place, she could understand the caution. But there was a small silver lining to the situation. Because she hadn't shown any hostility towards Sakura or the ANBU officers who had come to her cell and she had been found in such a weakened state, if she was believed to not be a danger to their village after an interrogation, Kagome would be allowed to live in their village under supervision for a trial basis.

Now she was simply waiting for the interrogator to arrive. Sakura had demanded that no actions be taken until Kagome had regained some weight and strength, so that she could at least walk on her own. Finally, after two weeks, Sakura had deemed Kagome well enough to speak with the interrogator.

She hadn't seen herself in a mirror since she'd woken up, but Kagome knew that she must still be terribly thin. Her arms, hands, and legs still looked frail to her own eyes. Her ribs weren't as prominent, but their outlines could still be seen and felt. Reaching up a hand to touch her face, Kagome smiled slightly when she noticed that her eyes didn't seem as sunken and her cheekbones didn't feel as sharp.

Her hands dropped back to her lap when the door opened again and a tall, imposing man entered the room followed by Sakura. The pink-haired woman leaned against a corner on the far side of the room and gave Kagome a small, reassuring smile. Kagome remembered Sakura saying that as long as she answered all of the questions as truthfully as possible, everything would be fine.

Kagome's eyes shifted to the form of the tall man as he approached the table. He was dressed in dark clothes with gloves and a dark, leather jacket. His head was covered with a bandana adorned with a piece of engraved metal similar to the one which Sakura wore as a headband. His stern face had scars running across in several places which told her that he had probably seen many battles in his life.

"Kagome Higurashi," he addressed her as he came to a stop opposite her. "Am I correct?"

Kagome blinked at the deep, unwavering tone that he used. She'd been told that the man to question her would be a strict man who wasn't afraid to use force if necessary. And since she found that she couldn't read his current mood, Kagome felt it best to comply with the man who more than dwarfed her. "Yes," she answered with a small nod.

"There are a few questions that need to be answered to assure that you are not a threat. Haruno has told me that you've agreed to answer all questions with no resistance. Is this also correct?"

"Yes," Kagome answered again before adding as an afterthought, "Sir."

"Very good," his face seemed to relax a bit before he continued. "One of the first things I'd like to address is the back which was brought back to the village with you." At this point he dropped a leather bag which he'd been holding at his side onto the table. "The contents are still unknown as none of my men have been able to open it without being attacked. Explain."

Kagome looked at the bag questioningly. "I'm not sure, I've never seen this bag before," she answered a little unsure. Hopefully the vague answer wouldn't get the questioning off to a bad start.

Ibiki reached out a hand to move the bag slightly. "It has your name on it, correct?"

Tilting her head to the side at the sight of the sutra bearing her name, Kagome reached out a slender hand to touch the paper. The sutra glowed brightly before all writing disappeared from it and the black slip of paper easily slipped onto the table. Not sure what action to take next, she looked up to her interrogator and said, "I've seen similar seals before, but I swear that I've never seen the bag."

Ibiki gave the girl a contemplative look before seeming to accept her answer and reaching out to dump the contents of the bag onto the table. The three occupants of the room watched as five scrolls rolled onto the table, a couple of them spinning before all of them finally stopped. Kagome caught Sakura's confused gaze before looking back to the large man before her. "May I?" She asked.

Ibiki nodded after a moment as he prepared himself for whatever may happen. His guess was that if the bag could only be opened by this woman then the scrolls within would likely be the same way.

Kagome pulled the scrolls towards her and looked over each one. Each had a name written across the outside; Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Shippo, and Inuyasha. Picking up one of the scrolls, Kagome curiously opened the one with Kaede's name on it. She knew that the others were watching her, but it didn't really matter. She didn't feel like there was anything to hide and she had already agreed to be truthful.

The message on the paper wasn't long and Kagome took a moment to read the elderly miko's words.

_Kagome,_

__

I know that I will likely no longer be among the living when you awaken, but I wished to let you know that you have become dear to my heart. After Kikyo passed I was without family for fifty long years. But when you arrived I felt as though the gods had given me a gift. You are my heart's daughter, child. Remember all that I have taught. I only regret not being able to tell you this myself.

I hope that you find your peace when you rejoin the world. Live happily, Kagome.

_Kaede_

After Kagome read the words left to her she dropped the scroll and quickly moved her chair back as a hand came to cover the gasp that tried to escape her lips. She now knew what these scrolls were. They were her friend's goodbyes; their last words to her. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head trying to force the burning tears away. Did this mean that she was really alone now?

When a hand gently touched her shoulder, Kagome looked up into green eyes. "Kagome?" Sakura questioned. The more she had talked to the woman as she cared for her, the more she came to like her. Kagome seemed to be a genuinely kind person that people would be attracted to naturally.

"The scrolls," Kagome spoke softly as she watched Ibiki pick up the scroll she'd dropped to read it himself. "They're all from my friends. They were saying goodbye when they wrote them. The people who were like family to me…I think they might be gone."

Sakura glanced over to Ibiki to see the man nod that Kagome spoke the truth. "Come on, Kagome," the pink-haired woman spoke. "When you finish answering all of our questions, maybe we could start looking into where your friends might have gone."

Kagome nodded before wiping her eyes and bringing her chair back up to the table. She looked up at the only male in the room before glancing down to her hands that rested on the table.

"My main concerns are what village you come from and how you came to be in the state you were found in. There are no records of you within our village and we cannot have an enemy walking freely within our walls," Ibiki stated.

"Village?" Kagome asked. "Um…Musashi?" She tested to see the man's reaction to the name of Inuyasha's old village. When her only response was a raised eyebrow, she tried again. "Edo?" That earned her a glare. Groaning in slight frustration, Kagome laid her head upon the table and said, "I don't know! I'm not even sure where or _when_ I am! And as far as being put in a room…I don't have any idea on that either." She sat up to continue on her little rant and explanation. "Honestly, the last thing I remember is waking up in a hut with my friends after I escaped Naraku's prison with—"

"For what reason were you imprisoned?" Ibiki questioned warily as he leaned on the table.

"Oh, that's a really long story," Kagome started only to see the large man lean back and cross his arms across his chest and give her another of his stern looks. Sighing in defeat and accepting the possibility that they may think her insane after this, Kagome began her tale. "Well, it all really started on my fifteenth birthday…"

She recalled everything that had happened to her since the fateful day she'd been pulled into the old well on her family's shrine. There were times in her story when she would smile and almost laugh, times when she could feel tears gather behind her eyes, and even times when she would become so angry she was sure that her face had turned red. The tale came down to her imprisonment within Naraku's castle and her odd escape. It was after she'd claimed to wake up with her friends around her once more that Ibiki stopped her.

"I've heard enough," he said. He turned to leave the room, but Sakura called out to him before he quite reached the door.

"Where are you going? Is the interrogation over?" She questioned confused.

"Hardly," came Ibiki's answer. "I'm calling in a Yamanaka. If any part of this story is true, they'll be able to find out in the quickest, cleanest fashion."

"I'll call Ino," Sakura volunteered as she looked over her shoulder at Kagome and followed the interrogator out of the room.

Kagome watched as the two left and turned her attention back to the scrolls which had been left on the table. Her stomach twisted as she thought about what each of the unopened scrolls contained, but part of her knew that she needed to know what her friends had to say to her. Looking over the names once more, Kagome picked up the scroll left to her by Shippo.

When she opened it a smile split across her face immediately as tears gathered in her eyes. She gave a watery laugh as she took in every detail of the colorful picture that covered the paper. Lying on a bed of flowers was a woman with dark hair who she assumed was herself and on either side of her was Inuyasha and Kouga. The two men were fighting as they usually did while she remained asleep. The only words on the page were '_Sleeping Beauty_' written in red crayon. Shippo obviously remembered the fairytale that she'd told him one night when he couldn't sleep.

Placing the scroll carefully back onto the table and wiping her eyes, Kagome chose another. She decided that she would probably get the most answers from Miroku and chose to read his next. Opening the monk's message with care, she read what he wrote.

_Dearest Kagome,_

_I'm sure you will wish to know what has happened now that you've awoken. Before I begin the tale, I wish for you to know what a pleasure it was to have known you. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to prepare you for your slumber, but Sango insisted that she take care of dressing you. I have no idea why she was so persistent about it._

Kagome shook her head at her friend's words. She could picture Sango hitting the pervert over the head as he claimed that it was his 'duty' to take care of her.

_We found you by a riverbank one evening several months after you were abducted from battle. Inuyasha was the one to pick up on your scent and lead us to you. While Sango, Kirara, and Shippo took you back to the village, Inuyasha and I searched out Naraku's castle. It had been burned to the ground by the time we arrived. We could not find any survivors, but Inuyasha was able to dig out some charred armor and tentacles from the debris. This, along with the fact that my wind tunnel is now gone, leads us to believe that Naraku has finally been destroyed._

__

You woke up for only a moment not long after we had returned to the hut. We all believed that you would wake up once again with time. But when you continued to sleep, I found that your soul was weary and needed more rest than your body could offer before death. With this knowledge, we decided to place you in a stasis giving your mind time to heal. I hope you are well now that you've joined the world once more.

You were placed within a special, prepared room within Mushin's temple to carry out your slumber. As your body was cleansed and prepared, the jewel found its way back to your side and is a part of you once more.

I predict that you will continue to sleep long after my passing. I will miss you. Inuyasha and Shippo have been charged with your care and waking you once you are ready.

I have learned much from your kind heart, Kagome. I will pass your philosophies of equality onto future generations, including my own children. Be well and find happiness, my friend.

_Sincerely,  
Miroku_

Kagome placed Miroku's scroll back upon the table in a daze. How long had she been asleep? As questions continued to run through her mind, Kagome spotted the scroll left to her by Sango and picked it up. Opening it, all thoughts ceased and Kagome felt herself truly smile at the short message written for her.

_Kagome,_

__

Because you will not be able to see it yourself, we were able to find a painter so that you could still be a part of the moment. I miss you, my sister, and I hope that you are happy where you are now.

_Sango_

Beneath the words was a small portrait. There was a man and woman clearly identifiable as Miroku and Sango. Between them were two small children while another infant rested within Sango's arms. A slightly taller Shippo stood beside the children while Inuyasha stood further from the small group by Miroku's side with his arms crossed.

Running her fingers over the lines, Kagome tried to imagine the moment in vivid color as though she were with them once again. Sango would be calming the children and making sure that Miroku behaved. Miroku would be smiling proudly by his family's side while trying to coax Inuyasha closer. Then Inuyasha would be grumbling under his breath about the entire thing being a waste of time.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the little scene in her mind. But it led her thoughts to the only scroll left on the table. The one left by Inuyasha. Was she truly ready to read what her best friend and crush had to say to her?

She contemplated this question for several moments as she watched the scroll as though it would get up and run away. But just when she was coming to the decision to read it, the door to the room opened again and her interrogator and Sakura returned with another woman in tow.

This woman was tall and lean with light blue eyes and long blonde hair kept in a ponytail. The new woman eyed her warily as Sakura brought in another chair to sit on the opposite side of the table from Kagome.

"What is it that I'm looking for?" The blonde asked.

Taking the time for civility, Sakura introduced, "Kagome, this is Ino Yamanaka. She's going to perform a technique that will help us make sure that you're telling the truth." At Kagome's nod, Sakura continued to speak. "Ino, this is Kagome and she's agreed to the interrogation peacefully so be nice."

"Fine, fine," Ino answered. "But that still doesn't tell me what I'm looking for."

"Look for memories and information on time travel, demons, battles, and a strange jewel," Ibiki answered. When Ino looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, he clarified, "I'm aware of how it sounds. That's why you're here. Now get to work." He was losing his patience with this nonsense.

Before Ino could begin her technique, Kagome held up a hand for her to wait before reaching for Miroku's scroll and extending it towards Ibiki. "This should explain how I got in the room you found me in," she said before leaning back in her seat once more.

Ino looked at the woman before she began. She was unhealthily thin and pale. Ino almost cringed at what being in a body that frail-looking would feel like. "The technique I'm going to use will be easier for both of us if you relax and don't fight it," she explained. When Kagome nodded and took a deep breath, Ino began.

There was a slight bit of unconscious resistance, but when Ino was able to look into the woman's mind she was astounded to find that the memories she was searching for were present and real. It was almost like a movie watching the girl this woman had been as she ran, fought, laughed, loved, and cried.

Once she was satisfied with the information that she'd gathered, she released the technique and stretched lightly when she returned to her own body. Sakura had been ready to catch Kagome once Ino left her mind and steadied her as she regained her senses.

Ino glance towards Ibiki with a serious expression as she said, "She was telling the truth." She wasn't sure how it was possible, but she knew that it had all happened. And despite having never met the woman before, Ino couldn't help the small amount of respect she felt towards her. There had been rumors around the village about a strange woman that Neji's team had returned with and Ino smirked slightly at the thought of all the gossip that would circulate when Kagome was released.

Ibiki looked to the two women who had been present to help with the interrogation before nodding and exiting the room without another word. He had information to go over and a decision to make.

"I'll walk you back to your room," Sakura said as she helped Kagome stand. Not believing that Kagome needed to be imprisoned, she refused to call the cell what it actually was.

"Thanks," Kagome said as she steadied herself on her own feet. It was still hard to walk from time to time after her legs had lost so much muscle mass, but she was doing well all things considered. She glanced at Ino and gave a small smile before leaving the interrogation room with Sakura.

Sakura tried making conversation on their walk down the hallway. "Once Ibiki makes his decision about you, I'll come back and let you know. You haven't given him any reason to think that you're a threat, so I'm sure that you'll be released to go meet with the Hokage about living in the village."

"I'm not even sure what I would do," Kagome confessed. "I can tell just from you and the others that I've seen that this isn't a world that I know. How am I going to survive here?"

"Well," Sakura paused as she thought over the question. "You'll probably be placed on watch or probation for a while anyway, so you'll likely be living with whoever is assigned to guard you. In that time, you can adjust to life in the village and maybe find a job if you think you might want to stay." Sakura smiled down at the slightly shorter woman.

"Where else would I go?" Kagome said with a small laugh that contained hints of unease.

"There are lots of other villages and countries, but you'll probably be safest here right now," Sakura explained as they came to a stop at Kagome's door. "But we'll worry about that later. Your lunch should have already been brought, so eat up and get some rest and I'll see you in a while."

Shutting the door after saying their goodbyes, Sakura set her course to find Ibiki and determine what he planned to do about their newest possible citizen.

=.=.=.=

Kagome had been napping when a soft knock alerted her to someone entering her cell. Sitting up slightly, she was greeted with the smiling face of Sakura before she entered completely and pulled Ino in behind her. "Great news!" She said. "Ibiki said that he doesn't think you're a threat to the village for the moment and has signed your release papers."

While part of Kagome was relieved, another part filled with new anxieties; would she be able to find her place in this new place? "That's great," Kagome answered as cheerfully as she could. "But…what's in the bags?" She questioned noticing the bags that she and Ino had brought with them.

"You're already going to draw a lot of attention, but not looking like you were recently from a detention cell will help with that," Ino answered as she stepped forward and placed her bag on the ground. "These are some clothes that used to be ours," the blonde said motioning to herself and her friend. "There has to be something in here that will fit you for now. I also have scissors in case you want to cut your hair some."

Kagome looked between the two women who were going so far to help her and smiled brightly as she sighed in relief. It was good to know that she had someone she would be able to turn to for a while. "Thank you," she said in all sincerity.

"Sure," Sakura answered as she placed her bag on the bed next to Kagome before unzipping it and sorting through the contents. "Now let's find you something to wear…"

=.=.=.=

No more than an hour later, Kagome left the building with Sakura and Ino on either side of her. After being in the dark for so long, the sun had become something of a distant memory. But when she felt its warmth a smile graced her features. Kagome inhaled deeply and would have sworn to anyone who asked that she could smell the sunshine; it was fresh and clean and filled with life.

As they walked down the street, there was no denying that people were staring at the three women. Kagome was well aware that she probably stood out greatly in comparison to those around her. Ino and Sakura had been able to find some green leggings that ended about mid-calf and a light tan sundress with a brown belt. Paired with some brown sandals and her hair cut to just above the small of her back, Kagome felt like she almost looked normal. She still felt exposed with her thin arms and legs clearly visible, but all she needed was to gain some weight back. She was sure that she would fill in again in no time.

But, in her opinion, it was the parasol she was forced to carry that made her stand out the most. Sakura still seemed very concerned with certain aspects of her health, and her pale skin happened to be once such concern. Until she gained back some color and began to build a base tan, Sakura had ordered Kagome to carry the parasol when she would be in direct sunlight.

Ignoring the stares and murmurs as best she could, Kagome allowed the two women with her to lead her to the village's leader; the Hokage.

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AN: Alright! It's late and if I kept going to my next stopping place, this chapter would be a little longer than I would like. So here's where we're ending it for now! I'll admit that this story has taken over most of my focus for the moment. With the responses that this has gotten, my mind has gone into overdrive thinking out every detail to every upcoming scene. I want to tell you guys what's going to be coming up in the next couple of chapters so bad! But where would the fun be in that, right? I guess you'll have to find out next time. It'll be something to look forward to, I hope! I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think! As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time around ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Because I got all kinds of sunburned yesterday while I was swimming with the guys, I'm staying indoors today and working on stories! :D Good for you guys, huh? ;]

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Brave New World

Chapter 4

Kagome sat in the Hokage's office staring into the eyes of the blonde woman behind the large desk. Light chocolate orbs were sharp and challenging as they stared into her own dark sapphire eyes, but for some reason Kagome didn't feel threatened. She recognized the gaze that she was receiving and instantly understood; it was the look of a cautious parent. This woman was sizing Kagome up, looking for any sign that could pose as threatening, and silently warning her that if she dared to hurt anyone who she saw as one of her 'children' there would be hell to pay.

Sakura and Ino had accompanied Kagome to the Hokage's tower, but only Sakura had entered the office with her. The pink-haired young woman stood behind the Hokage smiling a reassuring smile at Kagome. Tsunade had already read over the report that Ibiki had sent with Sakura, but she wanted a moment to put a little extra fear into the young woman; an insurance plan, if you will, for just in case.

"Do you plan on staying in our village?" Tsunade asked never breaking her eyes away from Kagome's. There was something about this woman that wasn't normal, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Her extremely thin frame and the pallor of her skin didn't help the unsettled feeling in her stomach.

"Yes, ma'am," Kagome answered with a small nod. "I don't have a home anymore and I'm not sure where else I would go. I'd like to try to start a life here. Your people seem very kind…given the circumstances," she added with an awkward grin.

"Yes…well, I'll have to go through my roster and find someone who will be able to keep an eye on you for a while. You've already been told that you'll be in a probationary period for several months. I have to make sure that I'm not allowing someone into the city that will cause trouble," Tsunade stated simply as a formality already going over lists of possible shinobi able to keep guard.

"She could stay with me," Sakura volunteered. "We've already gotten to know each other a little and I think Kagome might be comfortable being with someone she knows. Am I right?"

Kagome smiled at one of her new-found friends and nodded. "Yes, I would like that much more," she agreed.

"As convenient as that would be," Tsunade interjected without drawing her eyes away from various lists, "that won't be possible. Sakura has many duties at the hospital that she has to attend and is often called away as a medic for teams on field missions. No offense, but I'm looking for who would be able to perform the task best; comfort isn't being taken into consideration."

Kagome nodded her head slowly and directed her gaze out the large office windows. It was a sunny day and for the first time Kagome could see just how different this world was from her own. The buildings weren't made of metal beams and siding, but looked to be made from natural elements. And beyond the large wall in the far distance, she could even make out the green of thick forests. Swallowing in an attempt to wet her suddenly dry throat, Kagome took a deep breath and silently hoped that not too many things had changed.

"This would be easier if I didn't have so many shinobi constantly in and out of the damn village!" Tsunade huffed in frustration drawing Kagome's attention once more as she threw her lists down on the desk.

Leaning around Tsunade's chair, Sakura looked over the lists of names in an attempt to help. "I'm sure there's someone who—" But she was interrupted when the door to the office swung open unexpectedly.

"Granny!" A deep voice called out in an almost whining tone.

Kagome turned around in her chair slightly to see the newcomer. The man was tall and lean with lightly tanned skin. Golden-blonde hair stuck out in every direction and was held out of his face by a black band adorned with an identical piece of etched metal to the one that Sakura wore. Bright blue eyes were full of energy as he advanced into the room, and Kagome noticed odd markings on his cheeks but wasn't sure what they were. He was dressed in orange pants with white bandages around one thigh and black sandals. His orange and black jacket was unzipped due to the warm weather revealing a white t-shirt underneath.

"Naruto," both Sakura and Tsunade growled out at the blonde's intrusion.

Not taking the hint, Naruto carried on as though nothing was wrong. "When are you going to let me go on missions again?" He whined. He was bored with staying in the village and was quickly running out of money to fund his ramen addiction.

"Naruto," Tsunade snapped again to get the man's attention as she slammed her palms down on her desk and stood. "Not only have I told you over and over not to just barge into my office, but if you call me 'Granny' one more time I'm going to throw you out the window!" She paused to take a deep breath and sit back down before continuing, "And I told you that short of a catastrophic emergency where your abilities were absolutely necessary, you needed to take up a hobby because you weren't getting any missions for a very long time."

"But…" Naruto paused speechless for a minute before his mind kicked back into high gear. "But I'm bored! And broke! You know those aren't good combinations, especially for me. There's no telling what I might do!" He threw his hands into the air to emphasize his point. "Do you want me to starve? I may have to take up stripping just to support myself! I can see it now, flyers and posters littering all of Konoha; 'Shinobi Stripping Services: perfect for bachelorette parties!' What would that say to people coming to us with missions they needed completed? They would take their business elsewhere! Then none of us would be getting work and all of us would have to strip! The entire village would spiral into chaos and debauchery and—!"

"Naruto!" Tsunade yelled again in an attempt to end his rambling rant. She rubbed her temples and leaned back in her seat. Naruto had always been excitable, but sometimes he was just too much! "I'm not sending you out of this village," she said with an air of finality. "And if I hear about you stripping, I'll have ANBU take you in!"

Looking completely dejected, Naruto tried a more reasonable approach. "I don't understand why you won't let me go on missions anymore…" He pouted.

Snorting at the statement, Tsunade said, "After that last escort mission you were sent on, you don't know why I won't send you on any more?"

Naruto took a moment to think back before a goofy grin split across his face. "Oh yeah…but how was I supposed to know we were taking her to marry the Daimyo's son?"

"You read the mission scroll that you're given, idiot," Sakura said as she brought a hand up to cover her face.

"Whatever," Naruto said suddenly finding something on the ceiling to stare at. "I still say that she came onto me first."

"It doesn't matter!" Tsunade yelled trying to get back to the topic. "You aren't leaving this village unless I say so. You're going to stay right here where I can keep an eye on you." Her attention went back to the lists in front of her before she felt an idea take root in her mind and she grinned to herself. "Yes, you'll stay where I can keep an eye on you and you can keep an eye on her."

Naruto followed Tsunade's pointing finger to a small woman sitting in a chair to his left. When had she gotten there? Stepping forward a little more and bending down slightly, Naruto examined the woman who was staring at him with an odd look. He quickly took in her size and slightly sickly appearance before asking, "Who are you?"

"This is Kagome," Tsunade answered. "She's the one Neji's team found on their last surveillance mission. She's been interrogated and, deeming her safe for the time, will be living in the village until we can be sure. You wanted a mission, well here you go. Naruto Uzumaki, I charge you with keeping watch over Kagome Higurashi for any dangerous or suspicious behavior and making sure that she adjusts to life in Konoha; that means making sure that she obeys our laws and customs. You won't be leaving the village for this, but you'll be paid accordingly."

Looking between the Hokage and his new charge, Naruto sputtered before saying, "But I only have one bedroom and one bed in my apartment! Where is she going to stay?"

Grinning wickedly, Tsunade looked directly at the blonde and said, "She'll stay with you and you'll be a gentleman and take the couch until she can find a place of her own."

Naruto eyed Kagome again and was about to speak when Sakura beat him to it, "And I'll be checking in on you. Kagome is very nice and I like her. If I hear about you trying anything funny, I'll beat you into next week."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto waved a hand and said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know!" He then turned to Kagome and gave her one of his mischievous smiles as he said, "She said you're nice, so you don't have anything to worry about. I like the pink-haired, violent type."

Kagome watched as Sakura blushed and growled at the same time while narrowing green eyes onto the blonde who stuck his tongue out at her.

Tsunade sighed again before she said, "Naruto, you are twenty-three years old. Will you ever stop acting like you did the day I met you?"

"Bah! You know if I started acting my age it would just make you feel as old as you really are, Granny!" Naruto laughed until he realized exactly what he had just said. All laughter stopped and he slid nervous blue eyes over to a seething Hokage. "I didn't mean it!" He backed away as the older woman advanced on him and whimpered right before the woman laid her hands on him.

Kagome ducked and flinched as Naruto was sent sailing across the room and out one of the large windows. As she watched Tsunade straighten her clothes and head back to her seat, Kagome mused on how her new home was doubtful to ever be boring.

=.=.=.=

Kagome stood in the small living room of Naruto's apartment taking in her new home. Aside from the various scrolls and weapons that littered the floors and tables, there were discarded ramen containers and dishes everywhere. She was definitely going to have to do something about that. Aside from the dangers that it posed, it couldn't be healthy to live in that kind of mess. But Kagome's attention was drawn back to the tall blonde who had taken the few outfits given to her by Sakura and Ino into his room.

He walked back into the living room reading over a list that Sakura had given him. "Geez…you'd think she thought you were her pet!" He waved the list around and looked at Kagome as she laughed lightly before continuing on with his rant. "I mean, look at this; diet outlines, rules about your health, a schedule for check-ups at the hospital, she even wrote down a sleep schedule for you! A bedtime? Really? Does she think you're five?" Naruto stopped again to look Kagome over for a minute. "How old are you, anyway?"

Kagome shrugged before answering honestly, "I'm not sure. I was about seventeen when my friends put me to sleep, but Sakura said that I'm definitely older than that now. She can't get a close enough read on how old I am physically until my health improves, though."

"Physically?" Naruto said raising a brow as he plopped down on his couch.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how long I was asleep. I may not have changed much physically, but I'm willing to bet that I was around for a lot longer than just a few years," Kagome answered as she sat down on the couch beside Naruto. She stared ahead blankly for several minutes as the full weight of the situation hit her. She was in a world completely new to her where she knew very few people. She had slept for years and had no idea how she was going to proceed with her life. What could she possibly do in a world dominated with ninja? She wasn't trained in their arts. She couldn't fight against them with only her bow and arrows; she severely doubted that her purification powers would have any effect on them. She sighed and Naruto noticed.

Awkward was the word that came to Naruto's mind. He'd glanced over the scroll he'd been given with a brief description of Kagome's situation on the walk back to his apartment. But he couldn't let that get him down, he brightened as he looked over at the small woman beside him. She looked lost, confused, and a little sad. He would have to fix that! He would think of something to cheer Kagome up.

"Hey!" He said as he suddenly rose from his seat. "I'm going to the market to get some of this stuff from Sakura's list. Will you be okay here while I'm gone?"

Kagome blinked up at Naruto. "But…aren't you supposed to watch me or something?"

Naruto's face fell a little, but he maintained a small smile. "Do you plan on overthrowing society and corrupting all of Konoha into following plans for world domination within the next," Naruto glanced at the clock, "hour?"

Kagome shook her head as she bit back a grin at the blonde's exaggerated scenarios. Maybe living with Naruto wouldn't be so bad.

"Then I think we'll be fine," Naruto said as he headed to the door. "Make yourself at home but try not to mess up the place!" Naruto smiled brightly as Kagome's laughter followed him out of the apartment.

Kagome sat on the couch for a few minutes more after Naruto left before deciding to make herself useful. After rummaging around in the kitchen, she found some trash bags and began picking up all of the ramen containers. She then set about taking all of the dishes to the kitchen and washing them. The next step was dusting and general straightening up. All of Naruto's weapons were placed in a small box she found under the kitchen table and all of his scrolls were wrapped and placed on a shelf near the couch. By the time she was done, Kagome looked around the living room and kitchen and was pleased with how much better everything looked.

She walked back into the bedroom where she was going to sleep and found that there were clothes that needed to be picked up. She would wash them for him tomorrow. When the bedroom was as tidy as the rest of the house, Kagome looked through the bag that Sakura and Ino had packed for her only to find something in the very bottom. It was the same old leather bag that had been found at the temple with her.

Kagome pulled the bag from underneath her clothes and found a note from Sakura pinned to it.

_Since this is the only thing you have that's really yours, I thought you should have it back. Ibiki said that it's not of anymore use to him, so don't worry about someone looking for it later. Come find me if you need anything!_

_Sakura_

Kagome smiled at the little note and set it aside before looking in the bag. All of the scrolls were there. When her fingers grazed over the only sealed scroll left, Kagome gripped it and pulled it free from the others. Sitting down on the bed, all she could do was stare at the paper in her hands.

"What did you have to say to me, Inuyasha?" She thought aloud as shaking fingers broke the wax seal. Taking a nervous breath, Kagome bit her lip and unrolled the scroll containing the words of her best friend and one-time love.

_Kagome,_

__

I'm so sorry. That's all I can think to tell you. I hoped that you would be able to wake up and see your world and your family again, but I don't think that's going to happen. The others can't understand how different things are now from how they're supposed to be. I don't know where it all went wrong, but the world has changed. And all I can do is say that I'm sorry that I couldn't stop it.

I don't even know if I'll be around when you wake up. You've been asleep for over four hundred years now. And every time I look in the mirror it seems like an older face is looking back at me. If I'm not the one who's there when you wake up, please don't think that I abandoned you. You're my friend, Kagome. I may not have always acted like it, but I do care.

Most of the world is a dangerous place for demons now. We try to keep each other safe in our own small country. But I come to see if you're ready to wake up each month. But as the years have gone by, I've started to lose faith that I'll be around when you come back.

So if I'm not with you when you read this, keep living Kagome. You'll never be alone. You draw people to you too easily to ever be alone. Let the people of this new world become your new family like Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and I were. Be safe, be happy, and know that we'll meet again one day even if it's in another life.

_Love,  
Inuyasha_

Kagome wiped away her teas before they could fall onto Inuyasha's letter and ruin his words. She quickly rolled the scroll back up and held it tightly to her chest. Could he really be gone? Kagome's thin fingers wrapped around the scroll tighter as she cried.

=.=.=.=

Naruto returned almost two hours after leaving the apartment; it had taken him longer than he thought it would after running into Sakura. He'd dared to question her on some of the things on her list for Kagome. What a mistake that had been. He'd received a lecture and been told to follow her instructions. She'd apparently taken over the roll as Kagome's doctor.

"Kagome!" He called as he set the grocery bags down in the kitchen before seeking out the younger woman.

Knocking gently on the bedroom door, Naruto cracked it open calling softly, "Kagome?" But he opened the door fully when he saw his charge lying on the bed curled into herself and holding something. As he approached he could see the shining trails on her cheeks. Naruto had never been comfortable with the tears of others, but looking down at someone who already seemed so frail…it made her look like a broken doll.

Not able to squash his curiosity, Naruto reached out and gently pulled the scroll from Kagome's hands hoping that he didn't wake her up in the process. Blue eyes read the intimate words written from one friend—or possibly more—to another. When he finished his reading, Naruto sighed deeply. There was much more to Kagome Higurashi than he could have thought.

Why was it that even the missions that seemed easy evolved into much more?

Naruto placed the scroll on the small nightstand by the bed and placed the bag with Kagome's clothes and an old leather bag in the corner of the room. He then gently lifted Kagome's small frame into one arm so that he could pull back the blankets and cover her up.

Turning off the light, he glanced back once more with sympathetic eyes before leaving Kagome to sleep.

=.=.=.=

AN: I'd like to keep going, but these chapters would just be way too long! So you'll have to wait to see what happens next. But I promise that the next chapter will be more upbeat! Naruto can't just leave someone alone when they're sad, you know? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! And if anyone is interested, I did a couple of pieces of fanart (character designs) for this story. They're on my deviantArt page and the link for that is the 'homepage' link on my profile here :] One might be a little spoiler-ish, so keep that in mind if you don't want to ruin anything! Thanks for reading!


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